


Unusual Partner, An

by flowerpotgirl



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Post Bartlett Administration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-24
Updated: 2008-02-24
Packaged: 2019-05-15 01:33:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14781107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerpotgirl/pseuds/flowerpotgirl
Summary: A follow up to An Unusual Patient, which did not go quite where I expected.





	Unusual Partner, An

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: Never have been or will be mine.  


* * *

It was late in the day and Louisa had just finished a longer than usual clinic. A colleague was off sick and some of her paperwork had been less than comprehensive. She was tired and looking forward to a long hot bath. She sat for a minute contemplating which scent bath salts she fancied. There was a very expensive bottle of bath foam which her sister had given her for her birthday. Should she keep it for a special occasion or would she appreciate it more today while she had time for a long soak?  
She was startled out of her thoughts by the receptionist dashing in the door looking flustered.  
‘Whoa, Mary, what’s up?’  
‘The phone, they’re actually on the phone.’  
‘Who? Come on, take a breath and tell me.’  
‘I spoke to them. I actually spoke to someone from the White House.’  
‘The White House rang? What about? Oh I have a patient who works there - is it Donna?’  
‘No, it’s someone from the Secret Service and they’re asking all kinds of questions about how you get in this building.’  
Louisa thought about that for a moment then smiled calmly.  
‘Well. Donna’s due for an ultrasound next week so maybe it is a precaution ……or, wait, maybe her husband is coming too.’  
‘Her husband?’  
‘Yes, he has a security detail.’  
‘Donna…security……Oh my God. Do you mean Donna Moss, or Lyman now I suppose?’  
‘Yes, she is….’  
Mary started hyperventilating and Louisa began to worry there was something wrong with her. This woman treated all the patients with a bored indifference and was no respecter of status or wealth. She had no apparent interest in politics and had a marked dislike of powerful people.  
‘Hey are you alright? Do you need anything?’  
‘Donna coming here ……husband…..oh my oh my……..Do you mean to say Josh Lyman will be in my clinic?’  
‘Your clinic?’   
Mary just flapped her hand.  
‘Yes, I imagine that’s why the secret service were interested in the building. Do you know him or something?’  
By this time the receptionist had started to gather herself and was breathing more normally.  
‘I wish’  
The heartfelt tone startled Louisa, but Mary took a deep breath and continued, ‘Have you seen him? I mean in the flesh. Pictures just don’t do him justice, we all agree that.’  
‘Yeah, I met him a couple of weeks ago. Who’s ‘we’?’  
Mary looked faintly embarrassed but answered bravely ‘ Look I know this may sound a little…What I mean is…….OK I was, or rather still am, a member of his fan club. I joined after the campaign - the first Bartlett one I mean- when I saw him at an event. He has, I don’t know, a real charisma, a certain something….Oh you must know if you’ve met him.’  
It was difficult to know how to react to such blatant hero worship in an otherwise mature, sensible and generally indifferent woman. Stars of screen and stage, prominent politicians and the richest patients all seemed to leave her cold, but one slightly rumpled middle-aged man had her hyperventilating like the dippiest teenager.  
‘Well, he certainly is unusual and he does seem to have a presence. I must admit I was surprised when I met him.’  
‘I cannot believe it - Josh Lyman here. When are they coming in?’  
‘Not until next Thursday and Donna did say Josh may not be able to get away, although he was very keen. Now do I need to ring anybody back or did you manage to answer all the questions?’  
‘Questions? From who?’  
‘From the security service person who rang about access to the building. Mary can you focus for just a minute?’  
‘Yes. OK. Focussed. Deep breath. Not til next week. What was the question?’  
‘Security rang - do I need to ring back?’  
‘No. They only needed some basic information. What do I wear?’  
‘Mary, the man is married and his wife is having a baby. Maybe now is not your moment to dazzle him.’  
‘No. I didn’t mean….. Look I never had a problem with Donna. There were some members of the club who went mad when he married - offers of divorce lawyers, that kind of thing, but I never thought he would ever be interested in someone like me and I have no interest in politics, so it was never a competition. Anyway, she’s known him as long as I have been following him and they worked together all that time. So, no, I was not intending to dazzle him, but ‘what to wear to meet Josh’ was the hot topic this month on the fan site and there were some good suggestions. That was all.’  
‘Fan site? No, forget it, I don’t think I want to know any more. Let’s finish up here and then I’m going home to a hot bath and you can ……Oh, look, whatever you do, you CANNOT tell anyone that Josh may be coming here. It would be unprofessional, a breach of confidentiality and could also endanger your hero.’  
‘I wouldn’t dream of saying anything. I need to file a few notes then I’m off. I’ll see you tomorrow.’  
‘Yeah, see you.’  
Louisa packed up whilst contemplating the strangeness of people. Mary was the last person you expected to be harbouring a secret crush. It was quite funny and, as long as she kept to her usual standards of discretion, should not be a problem.   
Only she may have underestimated the strength of the Josh Lyman appeal.


End file.
